Recipe of the Month

Way to go, me, for doing this the last day of the month, right? Just like my visiting teaching (kidding--I don't have any VT ladies here, for some reason).

Anyway, this month's recipe is for a yummy salad that's cool, delicious and HEALTHY. I found this recipe when I was working on my Relief Society presentation on grains. We love it and eat it all the time.

Tabouli Salad
1 cup dry bulgur wheat substitute (see following recipe)
2-3 cups water
1 lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
3 tomatoes
half a red onion
half a cucumber
salt and pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add wheat and a little salt and let simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Wheat should be about as tender as brown rice when it is done. Pour wheat and any remaining water into a strainer and rinse with cold water until water runs clear. Shake strainer until no water remains on wheat, then put wheat into a medium bowl and fluff with fork. Chop onions, tomatoes and cucumbers and add to wheat. Add garlic, olive oil and mint. Slowly add the juice of the lemon, salt and pepper until it tastes how you like it. Yield: 2-3 cups


Bulgur Wheat Substitute
1-2 cups dry whole-wheat berries

Place wheat in blender. Turn blender on low speed and let blend for a few seconds. Wheat should NOT be ground to powder, just cut up a little, resembling cracked wheat. This may take more than one try. When finished, pour wheat into a strainer and shake to remove all small particles. This will help your wheat not be gummy when cooking it for Tabouli Salad. You can also use this for making cracked wheat cereal, or add it to your bread for a chewy texture.